


The Scientific Innovations of You, Me, And Everything In Between

by lazysquidward



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: But Link knows how to be sarcastic, But they also seemingly have plenty of times to themselves, F/M, Fluff, Gerudo Town, Hateno Village, Impa wants a monarchy to return, Kakariko Village, Kissing, Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda) Fluff, Post-Breath of the Wild, Post-Calamity Ganon, Post-Canon, Rito Village, The Yiga Clan wont go away, Zelda and Link have a lot to do, Zelda is a scientist, Zelda is bossy, Zelda tries to find her place in Hyrule, Zelda wants to study the divine beasts, Zora's Domain, zelink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:40:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26683810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazysquidward/pseuds/lazysquidward
Summary: Link remembers Zelda. She has never been more thankful to hear this. But, Zelda is returned to a world that has been without a monarchy for 100 years. Thankfully, she wants to be a researcher. She wants to learn everything she couldn't learn, and she wants to know everything she can about her people's ancient technology.Impa has other plans.Link, on the other hand, wants only two things: To defeat as many more monsters as he physically can, and to spend as much time with Zelda as possible. Surely he can do both.In this fic, I attempt to portray a Scientist Zelda who wants nothing to do with politics in a country that needs a political system more than ever. Lots of fluff too... because why not?
Relationships: Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 72





	1. Chapter 1

Princess Zelda stood adjacent to Link- the boy who had once been her appointed knight.

She wasn’t a princess anymore. A princess needed a kingdom.

  
What kingdom _did_ she have? A kingdom in a complete state of ruin?

  
Link just stared.

  
“I always thought,” She said, pausing to reflect a moment. “No. I always _believed_ you would find a way to defeat him. Ganon.”

He didn’t say anything.

“I never lost faith in you over these many years. Thank you, Link. The hero of Hyrule.” She smiled. He remembered that smile, but now, she smiled with both her mouth _and_ eyes. A true smile.

“May I ask… do you really remember me?”

This statement caught Link incredibly off guard. Princess Zelda- how could one forget her? 

“I do.” He stepped towards her, offering his hand. Zelda met him halfway, with such enthusiasm he could have sworn she’d knock him off his feet. He wrapped his arms around her as she pressed her face to his shoulder. Zelda hadn’t felt the touch of another in a hundred long, excruciatingly painful years. She hadn’t slept nor eaten in a hundred years. She hadn’t done anything besides fight Ganon and her own inner turmoil for a hundred years. Between the last ten, she began to believe she would never see Link again. Maybe he died in the shrine. Ganon felt this thought. He tortured her with images of her friends, all lying dead, in places she’d never reach. Her fault. It was her fault. If she had just unlocked her powers earlier-

“Zelda. You’re crying.”

She pulled back to look at him. He slowly reached a hand up to wipe away her tears, and she snaked her arms around the back of his neck. A hundred years ago, she’d rather have been killed then allow him to touch her like this.

Well, most times, that is. She reflected momentarily on the time she’d collapsed in his arms. The day he died. The day her friends died.

  
She reflected on the moment her powers awakened. To save him- Link- from an impending death via guardian.

  
There was too much to remember. Too much pain and suffering, and far too much raw emotion to overcome at this very moment. A hundred years in the making, she was free from the Calamity. Free from Ganon, but not from her own failures.

“Oh… Link. They’re all dead. It was my fault I couldn’t save them.”

  
“You saved me, Zelda.”

  
She stared at him.

  
“You saved me, and I saved you. It’s not your fault, nor mine, that they’re dead.”

  
“I’ll never see them again.”

  
“I thought so too. Their spirits live on. In the Divine Beasts.”

  
“What?”

  
Zelda’s eyes began to dry up, but Link was still holding her. The Divine Beasts she knew were in operation. She knew their respective villages kept watch. But the Champions? Their entrapment within each one aside, it was a hundred years passed. How could they possibly have survived?

  
“I met each one of them. Their spirits. They graced me with their powers…”

She cut him off, suprised as ever. Yes, she had seen his battles. She’d seen the technique used to defeat Calamity Ganon. Never once had she realized that those techniques weren’t of _battle,_ but rather of something she used to be incredibly familiar with. “Mipha’s Grace? Urbosa’s Fury? All of them?”

“I had to defeat their final enemies.”

“I could see you in the Divine Beasts. Every time you’d enter one, Ganon would give me the image. An image of you too close to a pool of Malice, or he’d show me your fights with his forms. All in the hopes you’d die during them.” She seemed to reflect on these. Link knew she could understand what he was doing, but never that she could _see_ any of it. “You never died. Each time you’d defeat another, his rage would grow. My hope would too.”

“And here I am.” He gave her a hint of a smile.

Zelda thought about the Champions for a moment. She thought about Link, too. About all the times which Ganon would show her Link in pain. He’d known her weakness was him. If he could show her enough, the seal would struggle. Her power had dwindled significantly over a hundred years. Should Link fail at any moment she saw him, the seal would break and Ganon would be free. Free to keep the kingdom as his own. Her fathers’ people would become his, or he may destroy the world entirely. She could never think about losing her family’s kingdom in such a way. One of the many reasons she constantly held high hopes for Link.

Oh. Her kingdom. It had to have been in pieces. Each place where she ever had a moment had to have been in complete ruin.

“Hyrule… is it… is _she_ …” Zelda trailed off, uncertain if she was ready to see such a thing. Link stepped back, failing to release her hand. “Come. I’ll show you.”

***

Nothing could have warned Zelda of the state her home was in. Pieces of the wall at crumbled off entirely. The stones were missing, windows broken, and doorways were visibly sealed off by rubble. Something within her compelled her to memorize every last detail. Like it was the last time she’d see it for a long time. Link stood behind her, watching as she twitched each time that she noticed a new, horrifying detail. She stood there for as long as she could, before she couldn’t take it any longer. Something felt strange. Seeing it after one hundred years, in such disrepair, was incredibly disheartening. She knew it was like this. She felt it. Every time a stone would fall, a looter would break a window, a piece of wood would crack from a door, or even another chair fell, Zelda could feel it. But she hadn’t seen the exterior of her home in a hundred years. All the preparing to see it again couldn’t have warned her.

She finally turned to Link.

As she did, she felt the release of the weight of a thousand men from her shoulders. Metaphorically, it felt freeing. This would be the last time she encountered this castle for many years to come, she could _feel it._

The spirits from what was the past felt as if they are dissolving as she took each step closer towards her Knight. It felt as if the whole kingdom watched her. Her father. The Champions. Everyone watching her, proud she had the courage to accept a kingdom in such a state of ruin.

She turned around one last time. Really, nobody was there. But she felt _everyone_. This she was certain of.

“Link. Where do we go from here? I… I feel as if I need to sleep for as many years as i’ve kept my seal and- “

“We go home.”

Zelda stopped in her track. Home? How awful of him go say. Was this not her home? The castle… the land… what defined _home?_

Link remembered she couldn’t know where home was. She’d never seen it- let alone know about it. “Hateno I own a house.”

“Hateno? The incredibly small farming village?”

“I’d hardly call it small,” He said, reaching out for Zelda’s hand to guide her. “It seems rather comparable to Kakariko.”

“Goddesses, what’s next? There’s a lab?” She wanted to laugh, but didn’t have the strength left

“Well…” He flashed a sheepish look, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.

“Don’t finish that statement. Let me _see_ it. Or I won’t believe you.”

Ah. There was the quality of pure bossiness that he’d recalled. Of all the things about her, this was the one he knew well. Strange, yet it began to make sense already.

“Where do you live there?”

  
“I bought an abandoned house.” They reached Link’s horse, with its beautiful brown and white coat. Zelda couldn’t help but admire his steed- she missed seeing the gentle giants. She also couldn’t help but notice there was _technically_ only room for one person on the saddle.

“Wont I hurt her?”

  
“Him. And no. He is used to lots of weight- “Link couldn’t help but grin. “I carry a lot of things. But, if you’re worried, I can make a detour to a stable and we can find you a horse.”

  
“No, no. I haven’t ridden in so long, I feel as if I’ve forgotten.”

  
“As long as you hold on, I won’t let you fall...” He said, helping her onto the saddle. He made sure she was situated, uncomfortable dress and all, before he climbed on in front of her. She slipped her arms, albeit awkwardly, around his lower waist. “It will be a few hours ride.”

  
And with a ‘ _Hyahh’_ from Link, the two were saying their goodbyes to Hyrule Field.

***

Two hours in, three to go:

  
“Zelda?”

  
No response.

“Zelda?” He asked again, turning around slightly to peek at her.

Her head rested partly on his shoulder, partly on his lower back. It had to have been uncomfortable. He tapped the side of his horse, willing him to speed up.

***

Three hours in:

Hyrule was quiet. The sun had set hours ago, and without the constant lingering background noise of monsters, everything felt _surreal._ They weren’t technically far, but he had to give his horse frequent breaks, as to not strain him with two teenagers on his back.

  
He felt her shift and heard a faint yawn. Quiet no more.

“We’ll be there somewhat soon.” Link had _tried_ to say this energetically, but he knew he should accept they were both incredibly tired.

“What’s his name?”

“What?”

“The horse. What should I call him?”

“Oh…” Link hadn’t thought about it before. “Chocolate.”

“You just came up with that.” Zelda gave him a weak laugh.

“Maybe I did. You’ll never know.”

***

When they finally reached Hateno, the sun was beginning to rise. Link didn’t know what time it was. He didn’t care. He was set on getting them into the house, and more importantly, to bed.

Zelda had fallen asleep again. It pained him to have to wake her up once more. She looked so peaceful, like they _hadn’t_ defeated a demon twelve hours ago.

Maybe in another lifetime, the two would live this peaceful life.

“Zelda…” Link shook her gently, trying to wake her with the least amount of shock possible.

She didn’t look happy.

“We’re here. Look.”

  
She slowly looked up, lifting her head from the back of his shoulder. “Your house?”

  
“Yeah. And look… there’s a field… You can do your- “He paused to yawn. “You have room to research. This house is your house.” He helped her down from the horse, shutting the gate to the small stable. He grabbed her hand, leading her into the house.

It wasn’t grand. There was a kitchen and a small table. Behind the stairs, crates. Up the stairs, a bed and dresser. On the walls, there were racks for his swords and shields alike. Zelda felt as if she recognized several of them, but she was too tired to care. Her eyes immediately darted to the bed.  
He helped her up the stairs, noticing her legs weakening with each step. She fell straight onto the bed, eyes closed the minute her head was against the pillow.

“You’re going to sleep in _that?_ ” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Zelda looked down, remembering her circumstance. “Oh.” She sighed. Of everything she had to face, a _wardrobe_ was her worst concern.

By the time she lifted her head to look at him, Link was already rustling through his dresser. He pulled out a long green tunic, adorned with embroidering. It looked _far_ too nice and expensive to wear to bed. “This will have to do for now.”

  
She didn’t want to change, but Link insisted, for her comfort, that she did. As she changed, he went downstairs to put on a clean undershirt. He returned in navy cotton shorts and this aforementioned cotton shirt, and she wore the green tunic that looked more like a dress than a top. She was considerably shorter than him, after all. She sat down on the bed, fingers trying to thread through and disassemble her braid. Link came over and sat next to her, willing her to put her arms down. He combed through her hair, methodically removing the braid, and what appeared to be entire chunks of her hair with it. When he was done, she turned to him with a look of such relief in her eyes, thankful he was willing to do the menial tasks she didn’t have the strength to do.

“I can sleep down there, if you’d like. I have an extra blanket too, if you get cold, and- “

  
“Won’t you stay with me?” She asked blankly, though with pure intentions. Whatever happened aside, she didn’t want to be alone for the first time she’d sleep in a hundred years.

“You don’t mind?”

  
“No, I want you to…” She said weakly, trailing off. She scooted up the bed, practically slamming her head on the pillow. She moved over slightly, allowing him room. He laid down next to her. Whatever boundaries they _should_ were broken the moment she asked him to stay. She moved her head onto his chest, and he wrapped an arm over her.

All Zelda knew, is that she absolutely didn’t want to be alone.

A hundred years of missing someone, especially so _one_ person, is a long time to wait.

  
The rest of the world would have to wait for them.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda and Link make their first- albeit minor- excursion together.
> 
> More or less another set-up chapter for what is to come, though particularly, Zelda throws herself into research already. Link doesn't actually want her to do that.

“How about that tech lab?” Zelda asked, not bothering to open her eyes. 

Between the two of them, three days had passed where they slept. Link hadn’t slept the _whole_ time, and technically neither had she, as they still had to take care of themselves. He beckoned her to clean off in the lake, keeping watch until she was modest once more, where they switched places. Then, he cleaned himself, scrubbing off dried blood and dirt, and the memories from his fight days ago. She fell asleep against the tree she had her back to. 

He made her a stew- a new recipe she’d never had a hundred years ago. It had a meaty broth, something filling and unique, sure to satisfy her for _at least_ a day. When he presented the bowl to her, he was unsure if she would find it satisfactory or not. She ate three bowls. With the smell gone, their stomachs full, and eyelids heavy once more, they made their way back into bed. The night she ate was the first time she encountered nightmares. Previously, she slept dreamless. Now, her mind began to become occupied with many thoughts again- focusing less and less on the idea of one menial task or the next, and more on questions she planned to ask once she felt strong enough. 

This particular morning, early into their third day of rest, they lay entangled once more. She was awake, though still had her eyes shut and her head nestled into his shoulder. He still allowed his arm to drape lazily around her, though his other arm was occupied with combing gently through her thinning hair. He made a mental note to himself to present her with a suggestion to this, but let his mind wander once more when he looked down on her motionless form. Her eyelashes fluttered; her lips parted _ever_ so slightly. Link felt determined to memorize every last thing about her. Within a week, he was certain they’d be busy up until the moment their heads would hit the pillows, but for now, they lay asleep to the world. Surely people had to have noticed the lack of Calamity surrounding the castle. It wouldn’t be long before he received communications inquiring on this, or rather, the whereabouts of the Princess. 

_Princess…_ He smirked to himself. He couldn’t help but wonder, in what world was it allowed that a Princess lay with her appointed Knight each time they slept? 

“Would you like to visit it today? I believe you have an old friend waiting for you.” 

  
Zelda’s eyes opened slowly, growing wide as she realized what he’d said. “Who?” 

  
“You’ll have to wait and see, Princess.” 

She groaned. “It’s _Zelda_.” She couldn’t help but scoff at how Link thought her old title was a point of humor. Nothing more like him than to use subdued remarks in same tone as sarcasm. 

Link began to say something, not before pulling another chunk of her hair out. 

“You know, one hundred years is quite a while for hair to be braided.” 

  
He snorted. “Imagine my shock at the mop on my head after that long.” 

  
“Mop?” She asked, reaching slowly up to tuck a strand behind his ear. “I’d hardly call it such a thing now. More like a _mess_.” She laughed slightly, poking him in the forehead. 

“Huh. And it’s funny, because my hair proves a point of not getting in other people’s way at night.” 

  
Zelda rolled her eyes. 

  
“So. How about something new for breakfast?” Link grinned. 

*** 

Zelda sat for a while, under the big tree, watching him fiddle with different ingredients laid out on a blanket before him. She had not a clue what he was doing. Rather, she thought about the easiest way to get to his sword. 

She was _determined_ to cut her hair without his input. No more nonsense. She was sick of him removing clumps, and _especially_ sick of the sweat building on the back of her neck at night. Traditions be damned, it was coming off. 

His sword rested on the exterior wall of the house closest to them. 

She waited until his back was to her, before she mustered all her strength and darted for the sword and scattered to the back of the house.   
The window was darkened, allowing her to see her reflection. She lined the sword up on one side, not daring to check the evenness of the blade. Zelda closed her eyes, and- 

A long chunk of hair fell to her feet. Without even bothering to check, she sliced at the other side, hoping her dexterity hadn’t dwindled over time. As the other side fell, she could hear Link’s panicked shouts from the front of the house. She prayed it didn’t look like a child had cut it, meeting him halfway around. 

“Oh, Zelda.” 

Her heart dropped. “It looks terrible.” 

  
His eyes bounced between the two sides, and a smile slowly spread on his face. 

“No, no! It… you look…” Link stuttered. “You look nice with shorter hair. But… it’s uneven.” 

  
Her shoulders fell as he took the blade from her. She plopped in front of the tree, defeated. 

  
“Will you let me fix it?” He asked, kneeling in front of her. Something in her screamed no. What qualifications could Link possibly have to fix her sloppy hair job? “Goddesses forgive me, but yes.” She sighed. 

He leaned close to her, bringing the tip of the blade to her left side. She braced herself to be nicked, or to lose the remaining hair she had. She felt nothing but saw him move the blade to the opposite side. 

“And… done.”   
It had taken him few minutes to finish, but sure enough, he did it. He set the sword down, bringing both his hands to either side of her head, brushing through the hair left over. Resting _just_ above her shoulders, the lack of weight from her hair felt freeing. 

“I think it’s safe to say I prefer you with shorter hair.” She opened her eyes to find his face inches from her own. He was grinning. They stayed like this for a brief moment, before he tucked a loose strand behind her ear. He moved to her left, putting his back to the tree. Her head quickly found his shoulder, and he played with the bunch of fabric from her tunic which was resting on her hip. 

It all felt so comfortable. How could they have these moments so easily now, when they never had before? 

Was it the pain and suffering? Longing? Years of being alone? 

*** 

It felt like the entire village of Hateno watched as Link accompanied a _girl_ up the path to the laboratory. They’d stop every now and then so he could point something out to her, or introduce her briefly to someone, before they’d continue on their way. 

Many housewives had their own respective opinion on the matter. More or less, the general consensus was that Link smelled of monster guts, therefore, how could a girl possibly choose to spend time with him- especially a girl who looked like _her?_

Oh, but Zelda cared not about the glances and exchanged whispers. No, no. She was used to scrutiny. She was more focused on taking it all in. The atmosphere of people trading with each other, children running around, and people exchanging conversations about their days or maybe their crops, and how they just couldn’t get this _one_ particular plant to grow… 

“Link, my goodness, this is incredible.” She had stopped walking. He turned to face her, raising an eyebrow. 

“What, the village? Hardly. There are many places I can take you where you’ll be far more impressed.”   
“No… no, look at all the people going about their days. Unafraid. Stressed not about politics or a looming threat, but only about what they’ll eat for dinner. I haven’t seen this much activity in so long…” She trailed off, but her face broke into a grin. He hadn’t seen her smile that wide in several days, so it was rather comforting to know she found joy in something so simple. 

And so, they continued to walk. The laboratory was up a steep hill, at the expense of the villagers not wanting to partake in _any_ experiment whatsoever. When they reached the entrance, Zelda immediately abandoned her position next to Link as he began to knock, practically knocking over everything in her path to get a look at the blue flame. 

“Incredible!” She exclaimed, reach out her hand to touch the stone which contained the flames. “It must be related to ancient technology. Maybe this flame makes it run! Oh, surely, this _must_ have an explanation. I hope the scientist here knows… I have so many questions!”   
Link walked towards her, hesitating to put his hand on her back. He wanted her to enter, to meet her dear old friend, and feel more joy than ever. It was quite like her to ignore the larger task at hand, and instead focus on something so inherently simple. He refrained from touching her. 

“Zelda, come inside. You’ll be far more impressed.” 

  
“Oh, well I’m sure!” She was moving her hands around as she spoke now, attesting to her true excitement. “It’s been so long; I imagine we’ve come so far. Do they know anything about the Divine Beasts?” Link knocked a few times, in no particular pattern. “Well, no. Of course they understand the Divine Beasts. I assisted them with that. Oh, but Link tell me… do they know what makes everything run so seamlessly? Surely they must by now, they’ve had all the time in the world, and- “ 

  
She was interrupted by a man opening the door, raising an eyebrow when he saw her, but immediately relaxing upon noticing Link. “Ah, Link, welcome back!” 

  
There was the scrambling of _something_ coming from the room behind the man. They could hear someone struggling, and- “Linky? He’s done it?” The voice sounded like it belonged to a little girl. Zelda couldn’t help but wonder why a child was around such precious research. 

Then, the girl came to the door, pushing past the man in a haste. “Oh, Linky! You’ve done it. There she is, oh, the Calamity is gone.” She grabbed Zelda’s arm, pulling her inside the lab. 

Zelda was bewildered. Royalty or not, she had still hoped to be treated with _some_ semblance of dignity. 

Lack of proper protocol aside, she couldn’t help but wriggle her arm free and stand still. It was a _mess._ Books, bottles, and other scientific messes were scattered around the room. 

It was… not as fascinating as she had hoped. 

“I’m sorry,” She said abruptly, turning towards the girl. “Where might the researcher be? This place is… well… I’d like to speak with them immediately.” 

“Zelda! How rude of you!” The girl shrieked, climbing atop a stack of books. “I cannot believe your manners! Are you suggesting my laboratory is kept in a state of disrepair?” 

  
“How do you know my name?” She asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Oh, puh-lease. You don’t recognize me?” The girl turned towards Link. “Don’t tell me _she_ lost her memory too, Linky!” 

  
Link shook his head, chuckling slightly. Zelda stood, bewildered, looking between the three people standing around her. The gears in her brain turned for what seemed like ages, before she came to a sudden conclusion. 

  
“Purah?” 

“Oh, thank goodness, I…” But she was quickly cut off as Zelda rushed towards her, picking her up from her stack of books, pulling her into a tight embrace.

“Oh, I never thought I’d see you again! And… but… why are you…” 

  
“Aging experiment.” Link and Symin responded at the same time, receiving a tsk from Purah. 

  
“How rude of you both! Never speak of a woman’s age!” 

  
Zelda chuckled, turning away from Purah and instead towards the two men. “How did all this come to be? What are you studying?” She asked, grinning wide. Zelda felt as if she could ask questions until her last day on this planet, and to be fair, that was her intention.

As for the smile… Link recognized that smile. Distantly. But still knew it all the same. He tucked away the thought for later use. As he did so, Purah tugged on Zelda’s sleeve, dragging her to whichever experiment she pleased. She motioned something to Symin, not bothering to look if he understood or not. Symin turned to Link, blabbing along about some Bokoblin problem plaguing the east of town.

Link left the lab, sword and mission goal in hand, yet thinking only about Zelda’s radiant happiness, something arguably able to outshine the sun above it all.

***

It was well into the night when Link trudged through the front door of his home, abandoning his gear at the foot of the door, just outside, where the remains of several monsters couldn’t be seen. He’d only _half_ expected her to be back from the laboratory, preparing for a quite house for the first time in days. Perhaps he could use this time to rest freely, or decipher a plan for whatever came next, or merely anything else. He worried not about her safety. It was comforting, almost, the moment of quiet.

But the stench of a soup gone foul indicated that he was not alone.

The sight of her at the table wasn’t anything to behold, of course- nor was the papers and books around her. He knew to expect something this (or rather, something similar). What _was_ particularly peculiar was the mess on the countertop, the materials on the floor, and more importantly, the three plants now at home on the shelf about said counters.

One could think he’d been gone for ages, from the looks of his _once_ clean house.

Where could he even start with the scene in front of him?

  
“Zelda… _what_ …” He paused, unable to begin expressing his confusion, “What in the name of Hylia happened here? What’s that smell?”

  
She chose not to look up from her work when she answered him. “I tried to cook,” She muttered. “I wasn’t sure when to expect your return,”

  
“Tried you did.”

  
She didn’t laugh.

  
“The smell is rather unbearable.” He mentioned, meandering towards the center of the mess. As he walked by, she caught a smell of the other source of his discomfort.

“Link, it isn’t _all_ the food. You smell as if you’ve fought a country’s worth of enemies.”

Hours earlier, she was beaming with delight. Perhaps the initial excitement had faded, but why should she be acting in such a manner as this now?

He chose, for his own sanity, to gloss over the subject.

“May I ask what this all is?”

  
“Research. Dozens of papers which had been collected and saved, if only in an attempt to save some of the knowledge of ages past.”

  
“On… what… exactly?” He dared to ask, knowing she would either enthusiastically share her knowledge, or begrudgingly ignore him.

“The Beasts. Specifically Ruta and Medoh. Purah informed me that she’d been hearing about struggles with Ruta.”

  
Link was surprised at her immediate launch into work. She’d rested but only three days. He concluded that this must be her coping. He remembered her copious amounts of projects and research, but perhaps not to the considerable degree of pure exhaustion. “You aren’t still tired?”

  
“No,” She looked up at him. “There is so much to be done. Purah is insistent that I travel to meet with Impa. She sent her a letter…” Zelda trailed off, looking back at her work.

“Zelda, it hasn’t been but three days since your return. I feel as if you should rest more.”

  
Though she considered rolling her eyes, her greater judgement decided she didn’t.

“Link, I should be all right. I need something to distract myself.”

  
Link noted that the way she lingered on distract indicated a greater inner turmoil for her. Naturally, there was bound to be. One hundred years of fighting would absolutely do such a thing to anyone. Though Link couldn’t remember every last detail of her, he was certain that she took academics to the greatest extent wherever possible, even so far as causing harm to herself.

All he could do was search for the right way to ask how to help her, and in the meantime, he rose to clean the kitchen (in whatever way he could best- it truly was abominable).

After several moments of uncomfortable silence, Link spoke. “Do you want to talk about what’s obviously plaguing you?”

  
No response. He had his back to her, so perhaps she was willingly ignoring him. Turning on his heel, Link found Zelda to be sitting knees to her chest in her chair, certainly a different position than which she started in, no longer focused on her work. She let out an awful choke-sob, letting her eyes water.   
“I haven’t had the courage to, Link. I cannot begin to explain the horrors I’ve seen, felt, or witnessed. It’s all still so… so…” She sputtered on her words. “ _Real”_ She lingered on the last word, which came out as more of a shaky whisper than a definitive response to her own statement.

Another moment of treacherous silence.

“I close my eyes at night peacefully. But I open them again and _he’s_ there. All around me. His Malice. I have not but an original thought in my head before it’s plagued by fears of the Malice, of the evil, and of everything.”

  
She took in a strenuous breath. “You saved me; you did. You’re here in front of me now. You’re Link, not Ganon, yet when left alone for a moment too sudden, he’s all I can see in your place.”

  
She was so vulnerable. A hundred years past, she was still a girl. Eighteen, so young and worrisome. Before the Calamity, Zelda consistently threw herself at her work when she became too stressed to do anything else. Old habits hardly stray if not broken willingly.

Link went to her, unable to do anything but offer his comfort. Particularly, he pulled the chair from the table and offered his hand. “You need rest, Zelda. Purah’s _tasks_ can wait.” 

Zelda felt as if she should protest this- particularly something along the lines of holding higher power than him- but she didn’t. No strength left to fight.   
Link smelt as a rotten monster corpse ought to, but she didn’t mind anymore. It settled in the house.

He felt particularly uncomfortable with himself, but truly to an incredible less sense than Zelda did with herself, therefore he waited patiently till she fell asleep.

Zelda had another dreadful nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi,,,,
> 
> I truly am the most terrible, unreliable author ever >,<
> 
> In my defense, I go to school 30 hours a week and WORK 30 hours a week, in addition to band and homework, so technically I do have somewhat of an excuse.
> 
> Quite truthfully, I cannot promise a schedule for when chapters will be released. They'll be released (hopefully) frequently, but I hate to make another promise I can't keep. 
> 
> You all will truly have to bear with me! It will only get better from here. I already know the plot, though I just have to finish writing, you know, the actual story part.
> 
> Seriously, I'm sorry. It's been too long. I'm sorry guys. But any ounce of support means anything for me. I'm young, I'm learning. Please be kind and patient, I promise great things for you all!
> 
> Love, Cami <3 (See you again soon!)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello ladies and gentlemen!!! Thank you so much for reading this first chapter. You can expect another chapter by no more than tomorrow at the latest!!
> 
> Allow me to introduce myself real quick. I'm Cameron! I'm a junior in high school, so as you can imagine, my schedule is pretty busy. I've been writing for years, and likewise, I've been playing Zelda games since I was a child. I previously had a reylo fanfiction on this account, with a couple thousand (~4.6k) readers, though I deleted the work because I found it to be incredibly embarrassing when some people in my life found it.
> 
> I'll be damned if I don't finish this work, though! I'm pretty excited to write a Zelink fanfiction after years of reading them. I hope nobody will be disappointed by my work!
> 
> ALSO, EDIT::::: I WILL HAVE MORE THAN ONE CHAPTER DON'T WORRY!
> 
> Thank you so much. I'll see you all again very shortly!!!! :D


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